CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Six cities go before the West Virginia Home Rule board Monday morning to present their case to join a pilot program.

Over the next three weeks, 23 municipalities across the state will make hour-long presentations for just 16 home rule spots. The leaders of Milton, Spencer, Dunbar, Nitro, South Charleston and St. Albans will face board members Monday.

Mayor Frank Mullens, who said South Charleston has been working on its application for months, noted are a handful of projects the city can’t enact because of state law restraints. Becoming a home rule city would give South Charleston more freedom.

“I think every city should be able to participate in home rule, myself. I think municipalities ought to have their hands untied so that we can be more creative in running our city governments,” Mullens said.

But with only 16 slots open, Mullens knows the city needs more than just that argument. He said one of the top items on their home rule wish list is being able to sell public property without going to public auction, as state law requires. Instead a sale of an alleyway or lot could be done without state intervention.

“I think it’s pretty simple and it sounds pretty easy, but it can be a deterrent when you’re talking about economic development,” he said.

Mullens said home rule inclusion would help the city deal with owners of rundown property.

“Sometime dilapidated property is a nuisance in our neighborhoods. One thing (home rule) would allow us to do is have our inspectors give on-site citations, things like that. Things that just frees their hands up to speed up the enforcement process,” he said.

South Charleston also is considering a possible sales tax and reducing its utility tax.

Mullens said home rule would give South Charleston the same leg up that Charleston, Huntington, Bridgeport and Wheeling have had the past few years as the first home rule cities.

The presentations get underway at 8 a.m. at the West Virginia Economic Development Authority offices in Charleston. Three more home rule meetings are scheduled over the next few weeks.

Jennifer Smith

Jennifer Smith is a true gold and blue Mountaineer. She is a graduate of Fairmont Sr. High and West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.

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Comments

Hillbilly

I smell a rat !!!!!!!!!!!!!

August 3, 2014 at 6:12 pm |

The Answer

Anyone working in any of those cities or towns need to get prepared.
Dollar Danny started something that everybody wants in on now,
taxation without representation.
What makes it even worse is all those idiots in Charleston say its legal..

August 3, 2014 at 2:20 pm |

Tim C

"Home Rule" is a two edge sword. Yes, it gives the cities some flexibility in running their government but it also allows them to tax the living crap out of not only the residents, but people who just happen to work there and live somewhere else. Anyway, it is bad news for residents and anyone who works in the city.

August 3, 2014 at 8:21 am |

Shadow

Another reason to run from the city.

August 3, 2014 at 9:44 am |

Shadow

It seems to me that the old adage of: "What is good for the goose is good for the gander" should apply to all? What a waste of City money to have to compete for favors from the Legislature.

August 3, 2014 at 3:42 am |

Aaron

What makes the situation laughable is the ineptitude of or current legislature.